2009 November | Erik Hornung - Edmonton Photographer

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Hello, thanks for stopping by!

Hey there! I am a wedding and lifestyle photographer from Edmonton, Alberta who specializes in laid back, timeless, and modern portrait journalism for the coolest of people around!

This blog-site gives you a window into both my personal and professional life. Here you will find images from the weddings and portrait sessions I shoot, places I have been, and friends and family members. This blog-site is also a source of information for potential clients, and to give them a peek into my life and a sense of who I am. Enjoy your stay, and please look around!

Archive for November, 2009

Questions…with answers to them!

November 24, 2009

Every now and then I get questions from other photographers, clients, and potential clients. Some are repetitive, and some are just GOOD questions that I thought i’d compile them all and give my answers and opinions to them. Please note that the answers to some of these questions are solely my own opinions and I don’t speak for anyone else. Please leave any comments with feedback telling me how awesome I am, or how completely and utterly wrong I am!!

Q: I love your photos, but I just can’t justify spending $3000 for someone to take photos of my wedding, when I can have a friend take my photos for much less.

Wedding photography is expensive, very expensive. To help justify the cost, you need to take a few things into consideration. Firstly, you are not solely hiring a photographer to just show up and take photos – even though I sometimes wish that were the case. You are hiring us for our skill set and talent that not everyone with a camera has. The amount of work a photographer puts in AFTER the wedding usually exceeds the amount of time we were at the wedding.

Another reason to justify the costs is that after the wedding when the food has eaten, the dress is worn, and your friends and family are gone, all you have left is your wedding photos, that will last you your lifetime. Why wouldn’t you hire a professional and ensure yourself you’ll have the most amazing photos of your day?

Q: Do you shoot JPEG or RAW?

I used to shoot RAW, but now I strictly shoot JPEG. I am confident and consistent with obtaining my exposures that shooting RAW offers me no benefit to my workflow. If you absolutely insist that I shoot RAW for your wedding, I will do so, but give you JPEGS on your DVD.

Q: Do you carry a lot of gear on you during a wedding? Will you stick out and be distracting?

I do bring a gear bag with several camara bodies, lenses and other things, but throughout the day you will only see me carrying one camera, and a Shootsac to carry a few lenses and other small items at my sides. Many times guests have thought I was a family member or friend and not the photographer. I always make it my goal to blend in and just appear to a family member or friend hanging out with a nice camera. I will admit it, i’m very proud of my ninja-stealth like abilities.

Q: What’s your favorite kind of espresso?

Important question! Im a big fan of Danesi. It’s powerful and hits you hard. On the go, Starbucks is the ideal choice. Bold, straight up.

Q: Will you kick my mom out of the room if she’s being a mom-zilla?

I won’t. It’s awkward having to do that, so i’d get my assistant to do it if you promise me a slice of wedding cake.

Q: I’m having a hard time finding good vendors – do you have any recommendations?

I sure do! I’ve been to a lot of weddings! Please check out my “What I like” page for a list and contact information to my favourite vendor who are always amazing!

Q: Do you ever book two weddings on one day, or even one weekend?

I never work more than one wedding on a Saturday – ever! I will also not work two different weddings on one weekend. Unless it is a wedding that requires two day, that is my only exception.

If you have any other questions you are dying to have asked, please get in touch with me! I have no secrets! Thank you for checking in – I appreciate it!

Posted in Personal | No Comments »

Mom, Dad, and their first Son – Edmonton Baby Photography

November 22, 2009

About a month and a bit before baby Grayson was born, Launa and Randy met up with me to talk about photographing their newborn baby as soon as possible after he was born. I don’t get many opportunities to photograph babies, but when I do I usually get just as excited as the parents. Newborn baby photosessions are always quiet and relaxful, and in a way quite therapeutic.

Today, Grayson is just 10 days old, and judging by the size of his big toes, he has a lot of growing to do! Launa and Randy are very excited parents, and give Grayson nothing but quality. He’ll definitely be the coolest kid on the block.

Here is just a small handful of shots from yesterday morning.

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Posted in Baby, Family | 2 Comments »

First post on my new blog site – featuring little baby Bianca!

November 21, 2009

Well, it took a lot of work, and many headaches and head scratching getting my new blog-site up and running. What is a blog-site you ask? Well, it’s a blog that’s a website, and a website that is a blog. I was getting tired updating both a blog and a website, so I designed a blog site that will feature the best of both worlds! Having this new site will make it easier for me to share my latest work and present it to potential clients, as well as give the reader a glimpse into my life and what makes me tick. So, again, thank you for stopping by and please let me know if you have any problems with the new site so that I can hopefully fix them.

I also had a very good experience this week, so good in fact that I wanted to tell you all about it! These days it seems that quality and sincere customer service is very difficult to come by, especially in the retail and service industry. Now, there is good customer service out there – we just got great service with a smile at starbucks – but in general, service just seems to be poor lately, at least it has to me. Lindsey and I have been dealing with a travel agent to get Lindsey’s tricky flight and accommodations worked out for our upcoming wedding in mexico that I am shooting. We’ve had to make a few complicated changes, that I am positive were are huge pain to have to work out. Our travel agent, Jalene at Paul Travel on Rice Howard Way was magnificent and really helped us and so friendly and took care of all of our requests and questions without out one bit of attitude or inconvenience in her voice. Not to often do you leave a place feeling so good after spending a large amount of money. So, my point is, make this girl your travel agent! Just outstanding.

Today I had a photo session with an awesome family – Kelly, Richard, and their daughter Bianca. In fact, Richard and Kelly are probably one of the reasons for my addiction to Facebook – i’m always on the lookout for Richard’s hilarious status updates, and the witty banter between the two of them.

Since a blog post is always better with a photo, here is one shot of the gorgeous Bianca.

Edmonton Baby Photography

Posted in Baby, Personal | No Comments »

Natalia + Jean-Francios

November 12, 2009

This could be my last engagement shoot of the year, which is a sad thought for me. With the temperature beginning to drop and the daily dose of vitamin D starting to increase, I hate though thought of hanging up the camera for the season. It’s been a fantastic year, with amazing clients who’ve treated as family in their home, have been patient, and loved their photos. And i’ll miss this. There is definitely some kind of high us photographers get after a shoot. That confident feeling knowing we created some art that they will love, put up in their home, and share with their family and friends. I have to credit all my clients for making my career worth it, by giving me the opportunity work with them, to get to know them, enabling that artistic high. It definitely makes the stress, high-workload, financial difficulties, and mothers-of-the-brides (i’m kidding moms – you’ve all been great!) of this career easier to deal with.

Natalia and Jean-Francios (JF) are no exceptions. They are definitely unique souls, and I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with them. I asked them how they had met, and I was given a hilarious play-by-play story, and when finished I asked “ok, now seriously, what’s the real story?”. It was the real story! It’s amazing, and sometimes hilarious how two people meet, in sometimes typical places, but still being so unique and unusual.

Natalia and JF are members of local band The JFR Project, and i’m stoked to hear them play at their wedding in February. Thank you Natalia and JF for a great afternoon – I am looking forward to February!

Thank you everyone for visiting!

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Posted in Engagements | 7 Comments »

Tara and Derek : Edmonton Engagement Photography

November 8, 2009

Saturday I had the opportunity to drag Tara and Derek around downtown Edmonton for an engagement session. We trekked (took the elevator) to the top of a parkade to begin the session. I’ll definitely be scouting some newer, and hopefully higher parkades for next time! Elevators are a must though.

Tara and Derek are both working their way into accounting, however, from what it appears to me, Facebook Farmville, is getting in the way! All kidding aside, Tara and Derek were wonderful to photograph, and should forget about accounting and start posing for photographs for a living. They will be getting married in July ’10, and i’m totally looking forward to it.

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